Nassau and Suffolk county executives agreed on a deal in principle with the state Wednesday to reduce county patrols on the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway by 25 percent.

The deal, which has not been finalized yet, would shift some of the patrol efforts onto state police. Suffolk County Executive Levy says Nassau and Suffolk counties have been wasting taxpayer dollars by having county officers patrol the highways.

Levy says he previously held out the date of May 1 as a deadline for patrol reductions as a negotiation tool only. He says he will not start cutting county patrols Thursday, but will hold off while negotiations resume.

Prior negotiations had turned into a showdown between county government and the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association. PBA President Jeff Frayler had criticized Levy for threatening a disturbance to public safety. With the tentative deal, Frayler says he?s glad his officers will remain on the roads for the time being.

Levy says the 25 percent reductions would mean tremendous saving for county taxpayers. He says it?s about time state taxpayers take over some of the $12 million it costs both counties to patrol the highways.

Final details of the deal should be worked out in the next couple of weeks.